The present invention relates to a device for improving the removal of odors and undesirable gases from surrounding ambient gases such as air using absorbent material by enclosing the absorbent material in a container designed to more efficiently distribute the odors and gases through the absorbent material.
It is well known that absorbent materials, such as molecular sieves or beads of absorbent materials when exposed to ambient gases will absorb many different gaseous components and odors as well as moisture from the surrounding air. However, the absorption proceeds in an uncontrolled manner, the rate being dependent on the amount of exposed absorbent surface and the flow of gases over the absorbent surface. The process can be improved by increasing the flow of the surrounding gases over the exposed surface by installing fans. However, the uncovered absorbent material is subject to spillage or being blown from the container by the fan.
Another alternative is to enclose the absorbent in a canister and force the gases through the bed of absorbent material using blowers. However, this apparatus can be bulky and is not energy efficient as it must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Additionally, the absorbent material tends to preferentially absorb moisture from the air forced through it, thus significantly reducing the ability of the material to absorb the odors and gaseous components which the device is intended to remove.
A more energy efficient system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,914 which employs a canister having a vertical foraminous tube centrally located therein, the tube being surrounded by the absorbent material, such as beads of a molecular sieve material which fills the canister. Air having odors or undesirable gases therein, as well as moisture, is caused to flow through the tube. It was found that the odor or gases are preferentially absorbed in the molecular sieve while moisture is absorbed at a much slower rate than when the air is forced directly through the absorbent. The device is disclosed to operate either as a static version, where the air rises through the device because of a chimney effect, or a more rapid and efficient device which uses a fan to draw the air through the tube. However, it has been found that absorption of odors and gases through this device is limited because only a limited percentage of the absorbent material is directly exposed to the gas or odor flowing through the foraminous tube, the porous area of the tube available for transmission is limited and the molecular sieve, once exposed to the odor or gas, can restrict the flow of additional gases or odor to the larger volume of absorbent spaced further from the tube. As such, the absorption rate of the prior art device can decrease significantly over a period of time.
Thus, there is a need for an assembly which is more efficient and effective in exposing the bulk of absorbent material to the substances to be absorbed.